Abstract

The diagnosis of typical thyroid dysfunctional states is usually not difficult when approached from either a clinical or a laboratory viewpoint. There are, however, some patients in whom hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism is suspected, but the clinical picture is not complete or clear, and the laboratory tests are in disagreement. For these reasons, we in the laboratory have received many inquiries from various members of the Department of Internal Medicine of this hospital as to which of the three commonly used tests of thyroid function is the most reliable. We of course sought information in the literature,2, 3 and at the